Ionut Farcas, SVP Europe Hub, Power Products at Schneider Electric, explores how data centres can enhance sustainability and resiliency by leveraging connected infrastructure amid escalating energy demands and environmental scrutiny.

As the climate crisis escalates, the data centre industry is facing scrutiny for its significant energy consumption. Data centres consume 7.4 GW, which is equivalent to the entire airline industry. With the sector growing at a rate of 12% annually, emissions will rise exponentially and set us back even further on our journey to limit warming to 1.5C.

However, data centres can be more friend than foe in the climate fight. They play a pivotal role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, powering artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices that are vital tools to minimise our impact on the planet.

According to the IEA, to get on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, emissions must be cut in half by 2030 — and reducing the emissions caused by data centres will be key to achieving this ambitious goal.

Resilience and sustainability go hand-in-hand in boosting business growth

Our growing reliance on data centres has exposed two major challenges for operators in the future: resiliency and sustainability. In 2024, governments are increasingly scrutinising the building of data centres over fears that their high energy consumption will put excessive pressure on electricity grids. This impacts energy security for the areas where they are situated and may hinder progress towards national climate targets if appropriate sustainability guidance is not followed.

For instance, Ireland, Germany, Singapore, China and Amsterdam in the Netherlands have introduced restrictions on new data centres in recent years to comply with more stringent environmental requirements, while Gartner also estimates that data centre downtimes set businesses back by upwards of $300,000 per hour. The business case for resiliency and sustainability in data centre operations has never been so clear, but how can leaders go about improving this?

Improving data centre agility, resiliency, and business value with connected infrastructure

One of the greatest pain points for data centre resiliency has been how to accommodate the large amounts of energy required, sustainably. With the IEA estimating that global data centre electricity use will double by 2026, power distribution is perhaps the biggest constraint on development in data centre hotspots globally.

To make operations more resilient, guarantee business continuity, and boost energy security, the data centre sector is looking to digitization. By digitising power distribution systems, data centres can use connected products to build an overview of an entire site’s energy landscape. By analysing this data, leaders can then make operations smarter, more productive, and more profitable. Connectivity also gives the following key benefits:

• Connectivity delivers monitoring and visibility

Thanks to round-the-clock connectivity and capturing data on the state of equipment and electrical currents at customer facilities, data centre leaders can perform real-time maintenance. Systems can be set up to issue alarms when anomalies or danger signs are detected so teams can take action quickly and prevent small snags becoming big problems.

• Connectivity delivers improved communication

Diagnostics capabilities enable predictive maintenance by sending alerts through monitoring software. When something requires attention, such as when a battery needs replacement or a breaker is approaching its end of life, leaders get an instant notification and can fix the issue.

• Connectivity delivers business value

This greater connectivity enables wider data collection and enhanced analysis. Insights can be used to boost efficiency, with data captured from power systems enabling immediate and long-term benefits. Data collected in real time enables quick decisions when an issue demands immediate attention, while data accumulated over time provides insights that enable predictive maintenance and strategic investments.

The future of data centres lies in connectivity

Demand for data centre services is only expected to grow further as our world becomes more digitally connected. Any disruption or outage in the supply chain can make headlines because of the significance of  the impact it can have . Furthermore, while service level agreements have long made data centre uptime a necessity for businesses, the sustainability of sites has only recently started to rise in prominence.

By investing in connected products and infrastructure solutions, companies can establish long-term partnerships with manufacturers, service providers, and customers. This allows for continual communication which enhances the efficiency, performance, and reliability of power distribution networks. Greater connectivity shows that sustainability can be achieved by responsibly, and proactively, maintaining uptime in operations. Combining this with new technologies and bold strategies, data centre leaders can embrace a new and innovative approach.